The long-term decline in union ­membership is slowing, an analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.

Melbourne professor
Jeff Borland
analysed ABS data over 22 years and found from 2006 to 2013 union ­membership fell by 3 per cent. This was a period when the Health Services Union and the Australian Workers Union came under fire over allegations of ­officials misusing member funds.

The drop was significantly less than the previous seven years between 1999 and 2006 when membership fell by 5 per cent; and between 1992 and 1999 when membership fell 14 per cent.

Professor Borland found more men than women deserted unions between 2006 and 2013.

“In 1992 union density [membership] for males exceeded that of females by just under 9 per cent, whereas in 2013 the difference was only one percentage point," Professor Borland said.

In June, ABS data showed 12 per cent of private sector employees belonged to an organised labour union, and 93,000 members left trade unions in the 12 months to August 2013. Total ­membership was 1.74 million.

But in comparing the seven-year periods, Professor Borland said his research found the slowing rate of decline in union membership was mainly due to stability in service ­industries and the public sector unions.

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He said little of the decline in ­membership could be explained by structural change in the composition of employment, away from “union jobs" towards “non-union jobs". The decline was across all employment areas.

He said trade unions were “much less part of the Australian workplace than 40 years ago, but what was less well known is that the decline in union density is slowing".

There was no decline in membership in the public sector between 2006 and 2013, the arts and recreation saw a 0.9 per cent decline and the healthcare and social assistance sector had a 1 per cent drop. This was in spite of allegations against senior officials at the main health sector union, the Health Services Union, including national secretary
Craig Thomson
, accused of spending members’ funds on prostitutes, travel and personal expenses. The allegations were first made public in April 2009.

The manufacturing sector had the largest drop in union membership with a decline of 7 per cent, followed by the construction industry with a 6 per cent fall. Car manufacturing has been hit by Ford, Holden and Toyota all planning to cease manufacturing in Australia.

Australian Council of Trade Unions assistant secretary,
Tim Lyons
, said it was “encouraging" that union density was “holding up best" in a critical area of the economy.

“The modern union member is probably a woman, working less than full-time hours in health and ­education," he said.

“Unions have adapted their strategies and organising, and the success of this is shown in this research. Of course we have more to do," Mr Lyons said.

“Unions have also adapted to the aggressive tactics and employers and the anti-union legislation and policies of Government. While unions need to continue to adapt, it is vital that the Australian public understand that the anti-union policies and ideology of Liberal Governments is an attack on all workers, and on the system that has delivered fairness to the Australian way of life."